PDP crisis: Governors hold emergency meeting Monday

• …Dickson warns against hijack of the party

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

As the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lingers, governors elected on the platform of the party have fixed an emergency meeting for next Monday, August 9 with a view to finding solutions to the problem.

The meeting is slated to hold in Abuja in a yet to be disclosed location.

This is even as the national leadership of the PDP disclosed yesterday that it has already activated the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party to ensure amicable resolution of all issues.

This was disclosed in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.

Also yesterday, the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State and serving Senator, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson cautioned all those behind this crisis not to leave any opening to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to exploit with their control of the resources and machinery of  Government.

Dickson, who is currently representing Bayelsa West senatorial district in the National Assembly, advised the national leadership of the PDP to utilize their powers under the constitution to discipline erring members involved in the nefarious plot to destroy the party.

Dickson made it clear that the PDP is bigger than any individual and should no longer tolerate people with inordinate ambitions to destroy the party which belongs to all Nigerians.

The planned meeting of the PDP Governors, according to Hon CID Maduabum, who is the Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, will hold on Monday night in Abuja, with a view to seeing how to proffer a lasting solution to the party’s crisis.

“The PDP Governors’ Forum has scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday, August 9 in Abuja, to discuss the affairs of the party and the way forward.

“The PDP as the only remaining hope of the nation for good governance must show an example to Nigerians and also take advantage of the current disarray in the APC and its rudderless government”, he said.

Also yesterday, Mr Ologbondiyan, in a statement signed by him, disclosed that

National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has reviewed the state of the party, with a view to creating an atmosphere that will continue to engender stability within the party.

According to him, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rose from a crucial meeting on Tuesday evening where it reviewed the state of the party, with a view to creating an atmosphere that will continue to engender stability within the party.

“The NWC assures that it has already activated the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party to ensure amicable resolution of all issues.

“The NWC further assures all members of the party that it is taking urgent steps to ensure decisions that will strengthen our great party for the task ahead, particularly at this time Nigerians are looking up to the PDP for direction and solutions.

“Against this backdrop, the NWC urges all members to remain calm while assuring that the PDP remains stable as we work with majority of Nigerians to end the inept administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), come 2023”, the statement said.

On his part, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Dickson said, “We have observed, for some time, the growing tension, recriminations and outright attack on the National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee by some leaders of the party.